Ray Bande
Senior Reporter
FORMER Matongo Farm workers are up in arms with a gold mining company for desecrating a burial site containing 19 children’s graves during the Mutare River rehabilitation work, sparking a dispute over the number of graves disturbed and whereabouts of the skeletal remains.
The affected families claimed that clothes and burial wrappers belonging to the deceased children were scattered across the burial site after operations by Lifetime (Pvt) Ltd disturbed the area.
The burial site, which lies near Mutare River, was used by former farm workers between 1997 and 2006 to inter their departed loved ones.
The river has since been redirected during ongoing rehabilitation and mining activities, bringing its channel within the vicinity of the burial site.
However, the families and mining company disagree over the number of graves at the site.
While former farm workers insist that 19 children were buried at the site, the mining company claims it initially encountered only one grave, and were subsequently informed that four graves existed.
During a visit to the burial site on Tuesday, The Manica Post crew observed scattered children’s clothing and burial materials. No human remains were visible.
Lifetime (Pvt) Ltd manager, Mr Weston Mudawapi, said the company stopped operations after encountering a grave, and engaged affected families over possible compensation and relocation.
“It is true that during our operations, which include river rehabilitation and mineral extraction where deposits are identified, we encountered one grave. We immediately stopped operations at the site. We investigated and were told there were four graves,” he said.
Mr Mudawapi said negotiations became difficult after the number of graves presented by the families increased from four to 19.
He said the company is willing to hammer an agreement with affected families, including possible compensation and relocation of the graves.
However, former farm workers maintained that 19 children were buried at the site, and accused the company of failing to conclude earlier negotiations.
Mr Takudwa Mupito, whose sister’s child was buried at the site, said the incident had caused distress within the family.
“My sister’s child was buried here and since this happened, she has not been sleeping peacefully because she keeps dreaming about her child. You can imagine the secondary trauma,” he said.
Mrs Elizabeth Chimukuchi, who said two of her children and another belonging to her late sister were buried at the site, said the family wanted an immediate agreement with the mining company.
“All we want is to sit down and reach an agreement with the mining company, but we are not being given an audience. We have approached the police, but nothing has come of it,” she said.
Mrs Joyce Chimukuchi said her child was buried at the site on September 10, 1997.
She said earlier negotiations had included proposals to fence the burial ground and compensate affected families with US$1 000 per grave.
She said the company later proposed relocating the remains to another fenced site before compensating the families and resuming operations on the burial site.
However, she said the proposed arrangements had not materialised.
Mrs Elizabeth Alfandika, who said four of her children, including twins, were buried at the site between 2003 and 2007, expressed anger over the alleged disturbance of the graves.
Acting Manicaland provincial police spokesperson, Assistant Inspector Wiseman Chinyoka, said he will only comment after police investigations have been completed.
Village head Mapope and Headman Murahwa were unavailable for comment.
Mutare District Development Coordinator, Mr Lloyd Kasima and Chief Senator James Mutasa said they were yet to receive a briefing on the matter.
Miner accused of desecrating 19 graves
